The level of proof required to convict a person of a crime. It does not require that one be “convinced 100 percent.” It does mean, however, that there
should not be any reasonable doubt as to a person’s guilt.
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Beyond a reasonable doubt is a legal standard of proof required to validate a criminal conviction in most adversarial legal systems. It is a higher standard of proof than the balance of probabilities standard commonly used in civil cases, because the stakes are much higher in a criminal case: a person found guilty can be deprived of liberty, or in extreme cases, life, as well as suffering the collateral consequences and social stigma attached to a conviction. The prosecution is tasked with providing evidence that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt in order to get a conviction; failure to do so entitles the accused to an acquittal. This standard of proof is widely accepted in many criminal justice systems, and its origin can be traced to Blackstone's ratio, "It is better that ten guilty persons escape than that one innocent suffer."
English
Alternative forms
- beyond reasonable doubt
- beyond reason of a doubt
- beyond a reason of a doubt
- BARD
Prepositional phrase
beyond a reasonable doubt
- (law) A legal standard for deciding the outcome of a criminal charge, requiring
